Indeed, my trip to China was a very illuminative and good experience that left other travellers yearning for more. For one travel to China from the United States, nothing much is actually involved after checking the relevant aspects of the weather and taking any necessary precautions. In this regard, several airlines are available in the United States which operates direct flights to Shanghai. I used Cathay Pacific in this trip considering that the airline offered relatively proper passenger treatment compared to other airlines in the city. I had a pleasant experience with this airline. Shanghai is one of the bustling metropolises that is effectively inundated with a very rich heritage, which truly impress travellers. Typically for most of the Chinese cities, culture plays significant role in the history and affairs of this financial center. Since the trip started on 1st May 2012, one week in Shanghai offered me sufficient time to explore the city and learn about its history and culture apart from enjoying its beautiful sceneries.
Stepping in China was both exciting and overwhelming. The first thing I noticed stepping out of the airport was the weather, it was hot and humid, something that I have never experienced. Several taxi cabs were available at the airport which charged modest fares to the various guestrooms around the city. As it is one of the largest cities in China, accommodation in Shanghai is generally much expensive, unlike most of the cities in the United States. Apart from taxi cabs, the city has a number of public transport facilities that can effectively serve the travellers in the city. They include trolleybuses and the rapidly expanding metro system that covers most parts of the city. From the airport to the hotel I was staying wet and sticky all over with sweat. I was not certain whether it was from the heat or the excitement. It did not matter at that point; I was in China, one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
My perception of China was based on Chinatown in Manhattan. There were similarities with the building structure and the food, the crowds as well was something that I found fascinating. Apart from the language barrier that did not bother me much, I found out that China town was not all that different from America. Some of the things I found fascinating include, reading the children bed time stories, in fact, like America’s story has something for the child to learn. The Chinese also love their country and their culture and do strive to make the country better for them and their children. Most of the things they did were almost similar to what we did back at home. The time to eat, the number of meals in a day, and the time they go to work and how they run their day to day life were not different.
Most of the Chinese cities offer varieties of accommodation services that can effectively suite any traveller to the cities. Some of the hotels operate as chains of other international hotels in other cities across the world. In this regard, the travellers will have the opportunity to enjoy the comfort of the city while experiencing the best opportunities. In terms of food in the Chinese cites the travellers will have the opportunities to experience the true taste of Chinese cuisine, which certainly offers a lot of variety. Fish, crab and chicken are in much abundance in the city of Shanghai. In America, anybody might really have a lot of challenges in enjoying some of this food. However, the huge variety of food in the city will certainly make anybody feel at home. In this regard, such food as oysters and seaweed offers a lot of delicacies.
Some of the things that were not similar include their eating habits. For example, they allow people to smoke while eating. I found this strange because even in public places, they do not prohibit people from smoking. They place the dish on a central place at the table, and people serve the amount they want into their plates. Families are treated as sacred; no one can abuse or misuse another person’s family. Despite this, they live together as one large family taking care of each other. Respect has been emphasized in China, the young respect the old, and the women respect their husbands. Even the way they salute each other differs from the old to the young.
In Chinatown, they do not judge or evaluate people by their wealth or poverty, strength or weaknesses. They believe that God was the one who provided for them, and they should be thankful of what they have and share with those who are less fortunate. They also hold their ancestors close to their hearts and believe that they protect them wherever they are. I admired tourist attraction sites where my breath was taken away by the walls of the Forbidden City, and I can never forget walking at the top of the great wall.
Chinese people are known for showing off especially to their hometown. Showing off what one has achieved is part of their tradition. They also love glorification and being on top of the rest. An example of an ancient tradition is someone returning to their hometown or even their own house wearing “golden clothes.” Chinese people detach from the rest once they think they have enough to sustain them. They do not like sharing information that might make other people more superior to them. I found this quite the opposite. While, in China, the people I met were down to earth and did not seem to be looking for praises. In fact, they were humble and assisted wherever they could. No one seemed to search for power of praise.